1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cradle for a portable communication device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cradle unit in which a rotary unit and a link stopper are integrally formed with rotary links, respectively.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a “portable communication device” means a device which allows a user to conduct wireless communication with a counterpart while the user is carrying the device. For example, portable communication devices are classified into bar-type, flip-type, folder-type, and slide-type wireless terminals, on the basis of their external appearances. Each of the conventional communication devices enumerated above essentially includes an antenna, a data input/output device, and a data transceiver. Of course, a keypad is generally employed as the data input/output device.
The slide-type wireless terminal includes a main body with a keypad, a sliding body with a display unit, and a sliding module for allowing the sliding body to be slid on the main body.
However, such a conventional slid-type wireless terminal has a problem as follows: since a separate cradle is used so as to make it convenient to see information displayed on the display unit, an uneconomical problem is caused in a user's position.
It would be more convenient for a user to see the information displayed on the display unit if the display unit is obliquely positioned. For example, in the past, unless a cradle were separately provided, a user may see the information displayed on the display unit in a state in which the user grasped and positioned the main body of the terminal obliquely. However, since no separate cradle is provided on a table or the like, it is inconvenient to read the screen displayed on the display unit in a state in which the terminal is located on the table or the like.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a sliding cradle for a portable communication device has been developed, which allows a display unit to be positioned obliquely after the display unit is slid.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a conventional sliding cradle 10 for a portable communication device includes first and second housings 20 and 30, a guide unit 40, a movable plate 50, a hinge stopper 60, a rotary link 70, a stopper pin 80, a hinge pin 90, an engagement/disengagement ball 91, a coil spring 92, and an E-ring 93.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the hinge pin 90 allows the rotary link 70 and the hinge stopper 60 to be rotated, and the stopper pin 80 limits the rotation of the rotary link 70 and the hinge stopper 60. The engagement/disengagement ball 91 provides a click feeling as being engaged with or disengaged from a hole formed in the hinge stopper when the rotary link 70 and the hinge stopper 60 are rotated.
However, since the conventional sliding cradle for a portable communication device having first and second housings includes the guide movement unit, the movable plate, the hinge stopper, the rotary link, the stopper pin, the engagement/disengagement ball, the coil spring, and the E-ring, the manufacturing cost for the final product is very high due to the large number of parts. In addition, since it is necessary to fasten the E-ring after the stopper pin and the hinge pin are coupled to the hinge stopper and the rotary link, respectively, the engagement/disengagement ball may escape or may be lost by being dropped when assembling the engagement/disengagement ball and the coil spring. As a result, the process for assembling the final product is very complicated and difficult, whereby the length of time for assembling the final product is increased, and the productivity of the final product is deteriorated. The sheer number of parts also do not wear at equal rates, and their interaction of some many pieces increase the probability of failure of the cradle to function properly for a length of time.
Therefore, what is needed is a cradle for a portable communication device having a stopper pin and hinge pins which are integrally formed with a hinge stopper and a rotary link, respectively, without needing separate pins and an E-ring coupled to the pins that are essentially employed in a conventional cradle for a portable communication device, so that the number of essential parts can be substantially reduced and the assembling process can be made to be simple and easy, whereby the length of time for the assembling process can be reduced, and hence the productivity of the final product can be improved.